Song of the Week: The Lumineers, "Ho Hey"

Song of the Week: The Lumineers, "Ho Hey"

Right now, the music industry — folks famously quick to wash, rinse, and repeat when they strike gold — thinks your next favorite band will sound a lot like Mumford & Sons. The byproduct won't just be dozens of bands that sound like Mumford & Sons, but perhaps the revival of one of rock 'n' roll's most woefully underutilized formats: the chant. See, a folk revival can only mean good things for the chant. Take as evidence this scrappy Denver trio's song. During the first four seconds, we hear the title chanted and can immediately lock into its rhythmic heartbeat. Virtually every line is punctuated by a "ho hey," and those that aren't get treated with a foot stomp or clap. Intuitively fun, it also underscores the chant's key appeal: In order to sing along to a chant, you don't actually have to be able to sing at all.